Patient's question:
Admitted to the hospital at 25 days of age, diagnosed with meningitis. There were no abnormalities observed at birth; it was a normal vaginal delivery. The baby is full-term with a birth weight of 7 jin. However, I am concerned about whether this might cause future issues for the child. Additionally, I don’t understand the meaning of some terms in the CT report. The child’s head circumference has grown relatively quickly—2.3 cm in one month. During the hospital stay, experts concluded that it does not constitute hydrocephalus. In the first half of the illness, the head circumference increased by nearly 2 cm, and after being discharged home, it grew by 0.5 cm in the following half month. The child had two episodes of convulsions, characterized by staring eyes, breathing difficulties, and a stiff neck. The child is currently two months old and can hold their head up when held upright, though there is some backward tilting. Is this normal? Can holding the head up while upright but with some backward tilting be considered a problem?Doctor's answer:
Hello: It is normal. After birth, a child's head circumference grows rapidly because the brain is still developing. A head circumference of 4.5 cm in the first two months is normal. A baby's head circumference reflects the development of the brain and skull and is a sensitive indicator of brain development. Head circumference size is related to brain development because the brain of a fetus develops at the forefront of the entire body, so the head is relatively large at birth. The average head circumference of normal infants at birth is 34 cm. After birth, head development is rapid, increasing by 8–10 cm in the first six months and 2–4 cm in the second six months. At one year old, it increases by 12 cm compared to birth, reaching 48 cm. At birth, the head circumference is 1–2 cm larger than the chest circumference. By one year old, the chest circumference becomes roughly equal to the head circumference. After one year, the chest circumference exceeds the head circumference, and the difference in centimeters is approximately equal to the child's age in years minus one.